


Lonesome Fears

by Neemochan



Series: The Life (and Death) of Tenny Brayboy, Professional Ghost Friend [3]
Category: New World Magischola (Live-Action Roleplaying Game)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 17:54:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19278439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Neemochan/pseuds/Neemochan
Summary: Tenny feels a lot of things leading up to the start of his third year, but mostly he feels...alone.He contemplates this loneliness as he packs, remembers a tea date with Heather, and learns he'll be seeing a lot more of a certain pair of half-fae twins.





	Lonesome Fears

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically establishing Tenny's mindset going into his third year (NWM 11).  
> A little stream of consciousness.  
> No beta, we die like men.
> 
> Thanks for letting me borrow Heather.

              Tenny fiddled with his bracelet, idly circling it around his wrist. He ran his fingertip over the small metal beads, an auditory memory imbued into each one, playing in his mind when he touched them.

              Playing with this bracelet had become a sort of nervous habit; something for him to fidget with when he got anxious or the resounding absence of ghostly whispers was too much.

              He cycled through the beads, their respective sounds springing forth and shifting as his finger skimmed over the strand, like turning the dial on a mundane radio.

The quiet murmurs and page turns of a study session in the DuBois common room, Henry Fitz giggling in the background; Leo, mid-recount of an Atlantean tale; Cousins Sibyl, Marland, and Felicia, fussing over an outfit Heather had put him in; the Ghostbusters theme song, muffled by laughter; the boisterous shout of Chancellor Styles calling his name, a smile in his voice…

And Tenny’s favorite one: the comforting, lilting accent of Heather. _“Hi Tenny! I miss you. I hope you’re having a day as amazing as you!”_

Tenny sighed, dropping his hands to his sides. He looked around his room, a bit of a disaster. He was in the process of packing for the new semester.

His third year.

That was a lot to think about.

It was a lot to think about for many reasons. One being that, frankly, it was a miracle he was alive for it. After technically dying last year and spending a day and a half adrift in the Astral, by all rights, he shouldn’t be here to see the start of his third year.

But he was. And it was at a cost, of course.

He should probably start calling himself a _Former_ Professional Ghost Friend after losing his abilities post-resurrection.

It had been months, but he was slowly beginning to resign himself to the fact that this was his life now and he had to try and move on.

Jules Knight had given his mopey ass a swift kick in the pants during Yule. In the midst of giving him the Shovel Talk (“If you hurt Heather – actually, I’m not sure you’re capable of hurting Heather…”), she’d somehow turned her attention to his career prospects.

 _“Tenny, you need to get a job,”_ She’d said.

And Tenny was a little too intimidated to point out that he was still a second year; finding a post-school job wasn’t anywhere near the top of his list.

_“What do you want to do?”_

_“…I don’t know anymore.”_

_“Okay, well, what_ did _you want to do?”_

He stumbled his way through their lengthy talk with stammers and I-don’t-knows, but somehow emerged from Jules’s tough love talk down with a little more hope in his heart.

He couldn’t see ghosts, or talk to them, or interact with anything related to the Astral, but Tenny still _knew_ a lot. He had dealt with ghosts his whole life, and with that came a wealth of knowledge on the subject. He could still consult Marshals in the matter. His knowledge was still useful.

But his accumulated knowledge and expertise weren’t enough. It just wasn’t the same – of course it wasn’t. There was no real substitute. There was no way to fill the yawning void of silence in his brain, not after it had been a revolving door for spirits for as long as he could remember.

Tenny was starting to give up on the books, though. He’d stuck his nose in all kinds of tomes about the Astral and ghosts. He even started looking into the subject of Fate. But the books in the school library, and the books in his family library, and the books in the little shops tucked away in corners of Virginia Isle all offered him nothing in terms of a solution. So, slowly, he stopped looking in them. It was uncharted territory, both on a magical level and a personal one.

Astromancy was looking increasingly less like an option for him (because who ever heard of an Astromancer that couldn’t access the Astral?). He’d sampled a couple other paths, searching for an alternative. But he discovered, oddly enough, that _living_ bodies made him squeamish – ruling out Healing. Artificery was fine, except Tenny always seemed to break whatever he was trying to make. And he was a miserable combat spell caster, despite what Sylvain tried to teach him. That had taken care of the idea of being a Marshal.

Tenny felt stuck. He _was_ stuck. Talking to ghosts was all he’d known, all he was ever good at. And now that he didn’t have that… Tenny didn’t know what to make of himself.

But at least he had his friends to help keep him afloat – his _living_ friends.

Val tried her best, and Quinn gave him hugs. Leo listened to him talk about Margaret, and Naomi tutored him in Mind Magic. Kea made ridiculous itineraries for the Ghost Army, and Absolom held tea parties. Phee and Octavia bickered and made him laugh, and Paz was always willing to pass his flask of catsap. Jay shared her teddy bear, and Fallon sat with him in the DuBois common room tent. Baby cousin Gwen gave him small passing waves, and Linden offered quiet conversation. Marigold embarrassed him by talking loudly about him and Heather, and Heather…. Heather was one of the best things in his life. Simply by just being in it.

God, he was going to miss Heather.

She had this no-nonsense way of cutting through him and reminding him that he was good enough, Astral magic or not – all while criticizing his choice of shorts.

Tenny reached for his bracelet again.

_“Hi Tenny! I miss you. I hope you’re having a day as amazing as you!”_

Graduation had been…difficult. For Tenny, anyway. He had tried his best not to show it – he didn’t want to drag the mood down. Because it _was_ a happy occasion. And he _was_ happy – he was proud, of all his friends, but he was especially proud of Heather.

Diplomas were just a piece of paper, a little arbitrary in terms of their proof of skill. But they stood for something else, too. Something maybe even more important. That piece of paper meant that you had endured, that you had most likely gone through some shit (especially attending New World Magischola) and that you had come out the other end, that you had grown. So seeing Heather standing there with that piece of paper in her hands… Yeah, Tenny had been incredibly proud. And he had told her that, so many times she had probably gotten sick of hearing it.

But through all the pomp and circumstance and celebrating and parties, there were thoughts nagging at the back of Tenny’s mind. He…wasn’t entirely sure he was going to get his piece of paper anymore. The shit he was going through seemed insurmountable. He couldn’t see himself coming out the other end of it.

Those thoughts weren’t new to him. That doubt had been circling his brain for a while. But what was new – what didn’t hit him until graduation – was that a lot of his friends were leaving.

Heather was leaving.

Tenny knew it was selfish of him to want any of them to stay. But…most of these people were his support system. He didn’t want to lose that yet, he wasn’t ready.

He kept losing things…

But graduation wasn’t about him. So, he didn’t make it about him. He kept those thoughts to himself until everyone was home and summer was underway. He got distracted by shopping trips and beach days (spent firmly planted on the sand, even with his life vest), cat wrangling and baby dragon-sitting, formal and unformal parties (both willingly and unwillingly dragged to), and frequent tea shop dates.

But as the start of the semester neared, all those thoughts Tenny had before came back full force. And he did bring it up.

He hadn’t meant to interrupt Heather. They were sitting at their usual table at the tea shop, near the back window; she was idly stirring her tea as she flipped through her notebook, eagerly explaining how she was planning to get Val’s business off the ground and pausing to describe the clothing sketches she had scattered between her notes.

And Tenny was listening. He loved listening to Heather talk about her plans and ideas and was constantly in awe of all the things she could think up. He peered over the notebook page and told her he liked the blue in the jacket she’d sketched.

Her mouth twisted and she murmured, “Maybe I should change it then…” Before her lips pulled into a teasing smile.

Tenny stared at her. He stared at that teasing smile that always made his heart leap. And an ache cracked through his chest. His fears came tumbling out of his mouth.

Heather’s expression dropped into something deeply serious. She reached forward, grabbed his hand, and held it tight. “Tenny…” She said, somehow both soft and firm at the same time. “You’re not losing anybody.”

Tenny looked down at his hardly touched cinnamon bun. His nose crinkled and he frowned; a telltale sign he was trying to reign in his emotions. “I know.” He mumbled. “It just…feels that way.” His hand curled further into a ball under Heather’s hand.

She was quiet for a long moment. Her eyes didn’t leave Tenny the entire time. Then she drew a breath, and her fingers gently worked to pry open Tenny’s closed fist.

“Distance can be difficult.” She began. “But it’s just temporary.” Tenny’s hand opened, and she let her fingers rest against his palm. “There were no goodbyes – you’ll see Henry again. You’ll see Fallon. You’ll see Paz. Even Sylvain, if you want.” Her mouth quirked up. “And you _know_ you’ll see me. You’re not allowed to disappear on me, Tennyson Brayboy.”

She was teasing him; trying to cheer him up. He smiled, just a little. “Neither are you.”

Heather closed her notebook and pushed aside her empty teacup. She leaned across the table and gave his hand a tight squeeze. “You’re going to be okay.”

The way she smiled almost made Tenny believe that.

“You’re stronger than you think you are.” She continued. “And you’re not alone, even when you think you are.” She gave the bracelet on his wrist a light tap. “Right?”

That’s what she had said the bracelet was for when she gave it to him – a reminder that he wasn’t alone. And he tried to use it as such. Constantly.

Tenny nodded.

She brought her other hand up to cover their already clasped hands. Her gaze stayed on their hands as she spoke. “I know things have been difficult since last year. Since…” Heather’s face twisted as she trailed off, and she swallowed.

The squeeze Tenny gave her hand was swift and immediate, and possibly too tight. He knew what she was thinking back to, and the echoes of his remaining guilt rattled between his ribs. A thousand apologizes would never be enough, be he tried to infuse that many into the squeeze of his hand.

Heather briefly closed her eyes. Then she reopened them. “I’m not saying things won’t continue to be difficult. Obviously, you know that.” She smiles sweetly. “But I believe in you, Tenny. If anyone can get through this, if anyone can figure this out, it’s you. I know it.”

She sat back in her chair, releasing Tenny’s hand. “And I’m here for you. Even if I’m not physically here, I’m always here in spirit—” She caught herself, her choice of words, and winced. “I mean…well…you know what I mean.” She finished quickly with a sheepish smile. She nervously reached up to brush at her short hair.

Heather glanced at Tenny to make sure she hadn’t inadvertently upset him. She hadn’t – he had that silly, adoring look that he got when he was near her, still, even after nearly a year’s worth of time.

“I’m gonna miss you.” Tenny said, voice a swirl of fondness and melancholy. There was still a smile on his face though.

Heather leaned forward, folding her arms on the tabletop. “I’ll miss you, too.” She tilted her head, gaze slipping out the nearby window. “But there are always letters…” Her lips started to pull into a smile. “And then there’s break…” Then her eyes shifted back to Tenny. “And then _you_ graduate.”

Tenny smiled back. It was a little unsure, and he knew it probably read that way.

It caused Heather to roll her eyes. “You’re going to graduate, Tenny. You think the school hasn’t given diplomas to mages with lesser skill or magic than yours? You’re not failing anything. You’ll be fine, astral magic or no.”

Tenny nodded, knew she was probably right.

He wanted to graduate. He wanted to graduate and do…whatever it was he was going to do. And he wanted to do it with Heather.

He changed subject, steering the conversation away from the question mark of what his plans were, to the more definite plans of Heather’s.

“Where are you headed first?” He asked, tearing off a piece of his cinnamon bun.

Heather’s face always lit up in a certain way when she discussed any of her plans. He loved watching it happen. “Well, you know Val and I had more or less decided on basing the company in New Orleans—”

“Lots of ghosts there…” Tenny noted nonchalantly.

Heather laughed. “…Yes.” She fixed him with a coy, tight-lipped smile. “I’m aware.”

Tenny’s own expression broke into a cheeky grin before she continued.

“Initially, I was going to go there. But then I remembered that waheela hunting season is about to start in the Canadian part of Thunderbird.” She practically swooned, pressing a hand to her chest. “They have the most _gorgeous_ white fur and—Do you remember those winter wear sketches I showed you? I would _love_ to use waheela fur for those. It’s very in-demand, too, particularly in the northern markets, because it has such high cold resistance.” She sighed, a little dreamily, and shrugged. “So, I thought I might spend some time there. It’s also a good opportunity to network with some of the hunters.”

Tenny frowned slightly, speaking through a mouthful of pastry. “Waheela… Those are kinda big, right?”

Heather’s lips puckered thoughtfully, her head tipping side to side. “They’re about eight feet tall… Fully grown, of course.”

Tenny swallowed, eyes wide. “…ah.”

That’s all he said. It was more of a squeak, actually.

There was silence as he stared at her.

She let out a breath, something between a groan and a sigh. “You don’t face one head-on. And you don’t go out alone, not unless you’re an idiot who doesn’t know what you’re doing.”

Tenny shook his head quickly. “I didn’t say anything.”

Heather’s eyes narrowed and she pointed a playful, accusatory finger at him. “You wanted to.”

“But I didn’t.” Tenny raised his hands in defense. “I trust you. I know you know what you’re doing.”

Heather blinked as if she hadn’t been expecting that response; had expected more of a fight. Her expression melted into something soft and vulnerable.

“Just…you know…be careful.” Tenny looked down at his hands, his fingers fumbling together. “I care about you.” He said. “A lot.”

“I care about you, too.” Heather reached across the table, gently cupping his face in her hand and meeting his eyes. “Remember that.”

Tenny smiled, pressing his cheek further into her palm before taking her hand into his own. “I will as long as you remember it, too.”

She squeezed his fingers.

Then a thoughtful look crossed her face. She released Tenny’s hand to grab her notebook. She flipped open to the design sketch they’d been looking at earlier. “So you really like the blue, huh?”

Tenny nodded.

Heather stared at him for a moment, an idea dancing in her eyes. She swiftly picked up her pen and scribbled something next to the sketch. “Good to know.”

She quickly closed the cover, tucked the book in her wyvern scale bag, and stood. “Right then. What are our plans for the rest of the afternoon, Tennyson?”

He grinned, wide and bashful. “I didn’t really have anything in mind…”

Heather gave an exaggerated sigh and roll of the eyes. “You never have anything in mind.”

“That’s because I don’t really care _what_ we do.” He shrugged. “I just like being with you.”

She stared at him flatly, raising a single, delicate brow. “So you’re alright with shopping for new shorts?” Her gaze dipped down to his cargo shorts in disdain. “Respectable ones, without so many pockets. At least, not on the outside.”

Tenny faltered. “Oh, well, I don’t—”

“No, no.” Heather held up a hand, cutting off his protests. “You said you didn’t care what we did.”

Tenny heaved a heavy sigh and shook his head. He had plenty of non-cargo shorts in his closet, most of them from Heather – there wasn’t any need for more. She was doing this to goad him into making a decision.

“What about…” He lifted his shoulders helplessly as he tried to think of something. “Uh…the park? On the edge of the Isle?”

Heather cocked her head, an amused smile pulling across her face. “I thought you were scared of that one.”

“I’m not scared.” He frowned, quick to defend himself. “I just…don’t like getting too close to the edge.”

Sure, there was magic preventing anyone from accidentally falling to their death. But defenestration was also a punishment of choice on the Isle – Tenny’s grandfather being a famous example. And Tenny wouldn’t have put it past the other unsoiled families, with their undying grudges, to make any member of the Brayboy family an exception to said protective magic. He wasn’t going to take his chances.

Heather sighed in mock disappointment. “And here I thought you were an adventurous boy…”

Tenny’s mouth puckered into a pout. Heather ruffled his hair with a giggle before smoothing it out.

He slipped an arm around her and nudged her away from the front of the tea shop and down the street.

 

 

Heather was gone now. She had been for a couple days. But she had left with the promise of sending something during the first week of school.

Maybe it was good she hadn’t been around to help him pack; he could dump all his cargo shorts and t-shirts into his trunk, judgement free. Although he had included some plain shorts and some button ups of his own volition. He was learning.

 Tenny left his closet and moved to his desk. He sorted through the mess, pulling notebooks and books to take with him. The stack of books to take was fairly small – most of his books were about ghosts, and they sat in the pile to stay behind.

Tenny’s current read, _Curious Twists of Fate: Unusual Occurrences and the Rule of the Fates_ , was wedged between his bed pillow and his mattress. He tossed it into his trunk.

Not far behind was his journal of letters to Margaret. Tenny had started writing his ghost friend letters not long after losing his ability to talk to her. It was a little redundant; Margaret was still present, still witnessing much of what happened around him, could still hear him. She didn’t need a letter. But Tenny did it anyway.

He’d been able to speak to her twice, thanks to a magical brooch that circumvented the astral blockade imposed on him. The first was in the week following Yule, where Tenny had received said brooch. The second was in the middle of last semester, when he chewed her out for dragging a certain dreamwalker into his dreams (and, subsequently, his life).

Tenny always tried to pin the brooch to whatever he could – a shirt collar, if his shirt had one; on the chest of a sweater; on his varsity style jacket. It got its charge when spells were cast near it. Unfortunately for Tenny, he wasn’t much of a caster. But sometimes his friends would collect the energy from their casting and transfer it over to his brooch.

“Where is it?”

Tenny stopped sorting through his belongings at the sound of his mother’s voice in the hall. She breezed into his room, Phineas, the detestable cat, at her feet.

“I’ve been firing off spells all morning.” Anastasia told her son. “I think I have a decent amount built up.” She held her hand out and wiggled her fingers.

Tenny stepped over to his dresser and pulled open the top drawer, where he kept all the trinkets he’d accumulated. He picked the brooch out, silver with a pinkish purple stone in the center, and placed it in his mom’s open palm.

Anastasia drew her wand and tapped it to the pin. She closed her eyes and focused her magic through her wand. Then her eyes snapped open and she handed the brooch back to Tenny. “There.” She beamed at him. Ever since Tenny had mentioned that others could give energy to help charge the pin, his mother had eagerly jumped at the chance to do so. “Do you know how much more you need?”

Tenny studied the pin. “It’s hard to be sure… I think it’s more than halfway, though.” He was hoping to get a conversation in before the school year started. But the brooch required incredibly large amounts of energy to work. It was looking unlikely.

His mother reached up to adjust her hair, repining her brown locks into a low, messy bun. “I have plenty of chores you could do to build up some more…” Her lips tugged upwards.

Tenny cringed. “I think I’ve got my hands full here.” He said quickly.

Anastasia laughed, surveying the scattered chaos of his room. “So it appears.” She frowned, looking back at him. “Please don’t leave it like this when you’re finished.”

Tenny turned to look at the clothes-laden floor, the un-shelved books, the ritual materials and supplies scattered in the corner. He turned back to her. “Like what?” He asked all too innocently.

His mother gave him a warning glare. “Tennyson…”

“I’m kidding.” He said with a lopsided smile. “I’ll clean it up. I’m just…still deciding what I’m taking…”

There was a skittering sound followed by a metallic rattle. Tenny turned to look behind him. Phineas was leaping up, swinging his paws at the silver necklace hanging from Tenny’s bedpost.

“Hey!” Tenny scolded, stomping over.

Phineas continued as if he’d heard nothing.

“Always with the important things…” Tenny grumbled to himself as he reached down and grabbed the cat around the middle.

Phineas pedaled his limbs as he was lifted into the air. He gave the swirled pendent a final bat before he was whisked towards the door. Tenny unceremoniously dropped him into the hallway.

“Stay. Out.” Tenny told the pest.

Phineas just stared at him. Then he darted to the left like he was going to dodge Tenny and jump back into the room.

Tenny moved just as quickly and blocked him. “No. Go mess with something else.”

Phineas blinked up at him, unimpressed.

Tenny leaned down and physically nudged the cat down the hallway. Phineas meowed, getting the message, and stuck up his nose as he trotted away.

Tenny walked back into his room to find his mom organizing his candles, her wand swishing and flicking through the air.

They continued to pack his things in silence for a while.

Then his mom held up a limp and well-worn ghost plushie. “Are you going to bring Boo Buddy?”

Tenny made a face at the suggestion. “No.”

Anastasia lowered the toy. “No? You’re not bringing Boo Buddy?”

“I’ve never brought Boo Buddy.” Tenny answered simply.

“I know, but…” His mom trailed off, clearly wanting to say something, but deciding not to. “It’s up to you.”

He was kind of embarrassed at the thought of bringing Boo Buddy. Not to mention, he hadn’t needed Boo Buddy since he was a kid. And just because he’d recently kept the old toy close while he slept, it didn’t mean he needed to take it to school.

Tenny took the plush ghost from his mother’s hands and gently placed it against his pillows. Then he returned to packing.

Anastasia’s gaze drifted up to the walls. The map that used to be filled with markers of haunted places and ghost sightings was still empty. But the multicolored strings and pins had been repurposed on a different wall. They’d been strung up in a crisscrossing web with pictures of Tenny and his friends hanging along them.

She nodded at the photos. “Do you want to bring a couple of those?”

Tenny glanced up. He walked over to the display and stared up at the collection of memories. He pulled one down – a cute picture of him and Heather at the Yule Ball. Then he grabbed one from the night of his birthday, him squished between his friends with the happiest grin on his face. He took the DuBois house photo from second year – and then the one from first year, too.

He left the wall, moving to place the pictures with his things. But then he stopped. He looked at the photos still on the wall. He walked back over and pulled another one down. And then another one. And then he was pulling each and every one of them down. They amounted to a small stack which he placed in his trunk.

His mother’s eyes followed him as he did this. She knew Tenny was still reeling from the loss of his abilities. From the loss of Margaret. From graduation and departing friends. She drew in a breath. “Tenny…” She began gently.

Tenny looked up at her, brow raised, and mouth curved in a smile. But his lips were pressed into a tight line.

Whatever lengthy discussion she had begun to build in her mind vanished. And she simply walked over to him and pulled him into an embrace. “I’m so proud of you.” She said, giving him a squeeze. “Third year… Can you believe it?”

Tenny let himself be hugged. They stood there like that for a long, long moment.

Then Anastasia pulled back and cupped his face between her hands. “You are so loved. You know that, right?”

He nodded slowly. He did know that. Tenny was very aware of the love that surrounded him – that kept him alive – and he relished the warmth of it.

His mom smoothed her hands down over his shoulders. “I’ll let you finish up. Let me know if you need anything, hm?” She took her leave, pausing in the doorway. “Oh, I do have some crystal fragments for you to take. All kinds, with a variety of uses. Don’t forget, okay?”

And then he was alone.

Tenny wasn’t used to being alone – truly alone. Even if he was alone in a room, he had always had some sort of ghostly chatter in his mind. There had always been a person or a ghost. He was _never_ alone.

But he had been getting a taste of what being alone was like with the absence of spirits. Now, when he was alone in a room, his mind rang with silence. There was no one but himself.

And now that there weren’t any ghosts, that there wasn’t any Margaret to talk to, that his friends had graduated, or had taken a year off, or were studying abroad, or doing field work…

Tenny felt so alone.

He hated feeling alone. Was a little scared of feeling alone.

His fingers found the bracelet around his wrist again. He skimmed through the sounds. He dropped onto the edge of his mattress and sighed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw something shift. Tenny turned to see Boo Buddy slumped over. He reached for the toy and held it in his lap. It was simple and handmade – just a ball of fluff with a calming charm on it, covered by a square of fabric that was cinched closed, so the ends resembled a ghost tail.

Funny – he had used Boo Buddy as a kid because he feared ghosts. Now he used Boo Buddy because he missed them, the silent dark of night making his chest feel tight.

He stared at the drawn-on face; two dots and a smile, but it was still somehow lopsided.

Tenny stood and dropped Boo Buddy into his trunk.

You know, just in case.

He wasn’t going to be completely friendless at school – he had to keep reminding himself of that. He had always been pretty good at making friends. He also had his house. And he did have Tal, as unlikely a friendship as theirs was.

He and Tal ran in slightly different circles, particularly when school wasn’t in session. But they were dream buddies, as Tenny liked to call it. The other boy was a dreamwalker. And after being dragged into one of Tenny’s nightmares, Tal had made him a necklace that allowed him to avoid his bad dreams and spend his sleeping hours in Tal’s personal dreamscape, a serene meadow.

This necklace was currently Phineas’ most sought-after toy.

Tenny didn’t always use the necklace. He didn’t want to avoid his dreams forever and, thankfully, the number of nightmares had lessened significantly compared to last year. He still had them, of course. And usually they were the same ones, just slightly varied.

It was typically one of four: a dream about the courtyard, where his body won’t respond and he can feel himself sinking into nothingness; a dream about the courtyard, but it’s Heather who’s dying and Tenny can’t do anything except watch; a dream where he’s lost in some version of limbo, harsh whispers – sometimes his own – reminding him he doesn’t belong; and the newest one in the rotation, a dream where multicolored strings representing his relationships are tied to his hands, and they all snap apart, one by one.

He had good dreams too – it was a bit of a relief to know he still could have good dreams. And on nights Tenny didn’t choose to visit Tal’s meadow, the other boy would sometimes drop by whatever dream Tenny was having, for better or worse.

Tal was kind, gentle-hearted – but he frequently hid his softer side behind a loud and mischievous exterior. Tenny had slowly been learning this. He liked to joke and make fun of Tenny, but it didn’t really bother him – Tenny knew Tal was just goofing around. Besides, it wasn’t like Tenny wasn’t accustomed to teasing. He’d had a steady exposure to it throughout his life between his mom, and Cassa, and Heather. He had been intimidated by Tal at first but wasn’t so much anymore.

Tal’s sister, on the other hand, Theia, was…well, Tenny was still intimidated by her, if he was honest. He liked to think he had a healthy sense of caution when it came to the fae. And even though Theia was half-fae, she had grown up in the fae realm – she played by fae rules. She seemed to have a very different, mildly disturbing set of morals, and it was in odd contrast to her exceptionally cheery disposition.

Somehow, he and Theia had developed a habit of taking walks and talks through the school gardens. She had started it – Tenny just sort of went with it. And he was starting to warm up to her. Theia wasn’t that bad. But she was still capable of saying things that made Tenny pull an incredulous double take, Tal laughing in the background like what she’d said was completely normal.

They were…a handful. But Tenny still liked them – both of them. And they certainly knew how to keep things interesting, in their own respective ways.

The lid of his travel trunk closed with a thud. His room was…mostly clean. As clean as he was going to make it, anyway.

Tenny wandered out into the house. He found his mom in the kitchen, making tea. There was a plate of sugar cookies on the counter from the shop down the block. He swiped one and turned around to lean against the counter, shoving the cookie in his mouth.

“Have everything?” His mother asked, moving from drawer to drawer.

“I think so.” Tenny mumbled through his cookie. “Although…” He swallowed, voice regaining its clarity. “I was thinking, I haven’t heard anything about housing assignments.”

Anastasia pulled a teacup down from the cupboard. “A little behind, aren’t they?”

Tenny shrugged. “There’s a new chancellor. Things are probably a mess in the transition.” Or just a mess – it was New World Magischola, after all.

His mother nodded towards a small basket on the kitchen island. “Well, there was something from the school in the post today.”

Tenny reached in and grabbed the pile of mail. He flipped through the envelopes, most of them for his dad, until he found the letter addressed to him with the school seal on it. He dropped the other mail back in the basket and tore into the envelope.

New roommate woes were just another thing on his mind. Tenny had had different roommates every year, but last year he’d shared dorm space with Heather and Val – probably as ideal a rooming situation as he could get. And getting new roommates just sort of emphasized what was gone.

He unfolded the letter, skimmed the paragraph apologizing for the delay, and dropped his gaze to the bottom of the paper, where the names of his new roommates were.

And sitting there, in crisp black ink, were two names he had not expected to see – two names he _knew_.

Tal Belyakova.

And Theia Belyakova.

Tenny stared at the paper. Stunned. Bewildered.

 _Oh._ He thought. _Oh no…_

He swallowed and slowly folded the letter closed.

This year had the potential to be a lot of things. But with Tal and Theia – _living_ with Tal and Theia…well, it certainly wasn’t going to be dull, was it?


End file.
